Jakarta, October 20, 2026 – From the pages of books to the world stage, Indonesian literary narratives can find new life on screen. The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) is building a strategic collaboration with global streaming service Netflix to create opportunities for Nusantara’s literary works to enter the international film and series ecosystem.
The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) is forging a strategic collaboration with global streaming service Netflix to pave the way for Nusantara’s literary works to reach the international creative ecosystem, Jakarta (October 20, 2026).
This initiative emerged during a meeting between Minister of Creative Economy / Head of the Creative Economy Agency Teuku Riefky Harsya and Netflix executives at the Ministry of Creative Economy’s office in Jakarta on Tuesday (October 20). The success of the series Cigarette Girl (Gadis Kretek) demonstrates how local stories, developed professionally, can captivate audiences across countries while generating economic value throughout the creative industry.
“We greatly appreciate Netflix’s continued support for Indonesia, particularly in developing the creative economy ecosystem, especially in the film, animation, and video subsectors. The government wants to ensure that Indonesian creative works from various regions have greater opportunities to be adapted into other formats, further developed, and introduced to wider markets,” Minister Riefky said.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
To address this challenge, the Ministry of Creative Economy is also strengthening the bridge between the literary and audiovisual sectors through the 2026 LITERAIA program. In collaboration with the Indonesian Publishers Association (Ikatan Penerbit Indonesia/IKAPI), which represents more than 2,500 publishers, the program provides workshops for promising writers from across the country to explore adapting their written works into feature films and series.
Echoing this commitment, Netflix Vice President for Global, APAC, Andrew Ure, said that Netflix’s decade-long presence in Indonesia has involved more than simply operating as a platform. The company has grown alongside the local ecosystem through production investments, content licensing, and talent development.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
“We feel greatly honored to have partnered with so many outstanding Indonesian writers, directors, producers, and production companies, as well as the Ministry of Creative Economy. I believe that, with its talent, strong storytelling traditions, technical skills, and diverse geographical locations offering a wealth of visual beauty, Indonesia has the potential to become a major creative force and an engine of growth for the national economy,” Andrew Ure said.
He added that bringing Indonesian stories to audiences around the world is an effective form of cultural diplomacy, while also creating opportunities for sustainable economic growth for Indonesian filmmakers and writers.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
Also attending the meeting were Netflix Director of Global Affairs for Southeast Asia Ruben Hattari, Head of Public Affairs for APAC Ryan Raharjo, and Senior Manager of Global Affairs for Southeast Asia Sarut Wittayarungruangsri. Minister Riefky was accompanied by Deputy for Media Creativity Cecep Rukendi, Special Advisor to the Minister for Strategic and Interagency Affairs Rian Firmansyah, and Director of Film, Animation, and Video Doni Setiawan.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
